


Think Twice

by philindas



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-06
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-08-13 12:14:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7976482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/philindas/pseuds/philindas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil may have gotten the wrong idea about the nature of Melinda and Steve's relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Think Twice

**Author's Note:**

  * For [qiaolianmay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/qiaolianmay/gifts).



> for Jan ♥

“He’s staring again.”

Melinda rolled her eyes at Steve’s words, focusing on the essay she was outlining and swirling her straw around the dregs of her iced tea.

“You’ve been saying that every ten minutes for the last hour,” she replied, raising an eyebrow as she looked up at him. He grinned, smile splitting his face easily as he threw a paper football at her- he managed to get it down the v-neck of her shirt and she rolled her eyes again, fishing it out.

“That’s because he’s been looking over here every ten minutes for the last hour,” he told her, dodging when she threw the paper wad back at him.

“Would you leave him alone? Phil is a nice guy, he’s just shy,” Melinda said, jotting down a few words on the paper before she looked up at her best friend, who had raised his eyebrow at her. She turned pink, tips of her ears flushing. “Stop looking at me like that.”

“Oh my god _you like him_ ,” Steve said, sitting forward and abandoning the calculus textbook opened in front of him. Melinda avoided his gaze, eyes glued to her work, and Steve leaned forward on his elbows. “So have you told him?”

“I have one lecture with him, Steve, of course I haven’t told him,” Melinda replies, shaking her head, and Steve lifts a hand to cover hers, rubbing his thumb over her wrist. “You’re being nice now?”

“I am always nice,” Steve mocks placing a hand over his wounded heart, and Melinda snorts, squeezing his hand once before she returns to her work. “You should tell him. You’d be cute together. You could make cute, patriotic babies.”

“Shut up, Steve,” Melinda said, holding in a laugh as she struggled to focus on her polisci paper.

“I’m just saying, I better be godfather,” Steve adds, finally getting back to his own work. “And if I’m not maid of honor at your wedding, I’m going to be really, really offended.”

“God why do I even like you,” Melinda said, shaking her head as she gathered her things. “I’m getting tea before Hillman’s lecture- want me to bring you something?”

“Americano,” Steve answers, and Melinda dips to kiss his cheek before she heads for the coffee cart outside the English building.

The campus has mostly thinned out for dinner rush, but Melinda and Steve (and Phil) had an evening history lecture, leaving them as some of the last students on campus on a Friday night. She’s in line behind two overly-bubbly blondes at the coffee cart when she hears someone clear their throat behind her; she turns out of habit, eyes widening at the sight of Phil Coulson.

“Oh- hi,” she says, giving him a small smile- he looks bewildered that she’s addressing him for a moment before she swallows, giving her a small smile of his own.

“Need the caffeine to get through Hillman’s monotone tonight,” he replies, nodding towards the cart, and Melinda laughs, nodding too. Before she can say anything else it’s her turn to order; she’s off to the side, waiting for the coffee and tea- she hears Phil order black coffee with five sugars, and she can’t help but smile.

“So have you started the assignment on Salem?” she asked Phil as he grabbed a stirrer, swirling it through the black liquid in his cup. He shakes his head, taking a sip of his drink as they head for the History building.

“Figured I’d use my notes from this lecture to start,” he answers, and Melinda nods, sipping her iced chai through the straw. “You and your boyfriend have plans for the long weekend?”

“My boyfr- oh god, Steve? No, no he’s not my boyfriend. Just best friend,” she replies, amusement tugging up the corners of her mouth. “We tried that in high school- it is way too awkward to kiss the boy you used to make mud pies with and who took baths with you.”

“I’ll rephrase then- do _you_ have plans for the long weekend?” Phil asks, blue eyes warm, and Melinda raised an eyebrow before a slow grin slid onto her face.

“I don’t know, do I, Phil?” she asked, and Phil laughed for the first time she’d heard- it was long, low, and warm, wrapping around her like an soft blanket. Something inside her burned, for the first time in so long, and she swallowed against the heat suddenly flashing over her skin.

“My friend’s band is playing a gig at Fury’s- I could pick you up at 7?” he asked, and she nodded, smiling.

“It’s a date.”

_

A week later, they walked into that same lecture, but this time, Melinda’s fingers were twined with his and he’d paid for her tea- Steve is waiting in their regular seats, but Melinda forces him to slide over so Phil can sit with them. He raises a blonde eyebrow as he accepts his usual Americano from Melinda, and she smiles.

“Steve this is Phil. Phil, this is Steve. Ignore everything that comes out of his disgustingly symmetrical mouth,” she introduces them, and Steve laughs, shaking his head as he shakes Phil’s hand.

“You hurt her, I’ll kill you,” is all Steve says, uncharacteristic seriousness in his tone. There’s a moment of silence before Phil leans forward, stage whispering.

“I’m more scared of what she’ll do to me if I hurt her. No offense,” he says, and Steve’s face creases in a smile, amusement in his gaze. Melinda smacks his arm, glaring, and he just hands her the purple pen he’d stolen from her the week previous, winking.

“He can stay,” he tells her, and Melinda rolls her eyes, uncapping her pen.

“Glad you approve, _Dad_ ,” she teases, but she rests her head on his bicep for a brief second before Hillman walks into the room, dropping his bag into the chair and immediately heading for the chalkboard, beginning his notes. Sitting there, between her best friend and her boyfriend, Melinda was completely content for the first time in a long time.

She smiled.


End file.
